6 Toxic Behaviors That Push People Away: How to Recognize Them in Yourself and Change Them

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In my line of work, I hear from hundreds of people a month, and connect with professionals in a more public, open way than ever before. Through this experience, I’ve seen scores of toxic behaviors that push people away (including me). And I’ve witnessed the damage these behaviors cause – to relationships, professional success, and to the well-being of both the individual behaving negatively, and to everyone around him or her.

Let’s be real – we’ve all acted in toxic, damaging ways at one time or another (none of us are immune to it), but many people are more evolved, balanced, and aware, and it happens only rarely in their lives.

Whether your toxic behavior is a common occurrence, or once in a blue moon, it’s critical for your happiness and success that you are able to recognize when you’re behaving badly, and shift it when it emerges.

The six most toxic behaviors I see every day are:

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Kathy Caprino

Kathy Caprino currently runs a leadership and career success coaching and consulting firm focused on the advancement of women. A trained therapist and coach, Kathy has had the pleasure of working with over 10,000 emerging women leaders at Fortune 100 companies, national women's conferences, non-profits, academia and startups. Kathy has also served as a graduate instructor for New York University and career trainer for Mediabistro. She blogs for Forbes, Huffington Post, AARP's Life Reimagined and her own Ellia Communications career blog. Kathy is the author of Breakdown, Breakthrough: The Professional Woman's Guide to Claiming a Life of Passion, Power and Purpose. You can reach Kathy at www.elliacommunications.com, Amazing Career Project, and connect on Twitter @kathycaprino, Facebook, LinkedIn, and on Google+.